GREAT NEWS FOR CITY SQUIRRELS

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

During its Christmas tree lighting ceremony Tuesday in Daley Plaza, Chicago will give away hundreds of evergreen seedlings, tiny trees that people can plant, enjoy and decorate for many Christmases to come.

The giveaway trees are part of GreenStreets, a city program to add half a million trees to Chicago over the next five years.

That`s a 50 percent increase in the current tree population, based on the city`s attempt at a tree census. Chicago will be prettier with all those new trees and it may also be easier on the lungs as they filter air pollution. For a decade, the tree trend has been in the opposite direction. The Daley administration estimates that Chicago has been losing three trees for every one added since 1980.

So far, GreenStreets has planted 3,000 trees-exactly 60 in each ward, assuring that politics does not out-muscle nature. What`s equally good news for city residents is that the 10,000 trees in the first phase of the program are being purchased by Chicago area businesses, not by taxpayers. Bear Stearns & Co., FMC Corp. and Kraft Inc. are paying for the trees, and the staff of J. Walter Thompson advertising agency created the GreenStreets logo of a couple planting a tree.

Daley`s proposed 1990 budget gives an extra $2.3 million-an increase of about 25 percent-for city forestry services. He also has directed his staff to make certain that city maintenance and repair work is planned, as much as possible, to protect trees. Wholesale chopping has often been a routine part of street and sewer repairs.

''The trees we plant and nurture today will stand as our gift to Chicago`s future generations,'' said Daley. ''I`m a fanatic about trees.''

That`s fine. It also proves again what a good son he has been. Obviously, he has never forgotten his father`s scornful putdown of protesters at the 1968 Democratic convention: ''What trees do they plant?''